History
On 16 May 1818, Prince Regent John VI of Portugal issued a decree allowing the Swiss representative of the Canton of Fribourg, Sebastian Nicolau Gachet, to establish a colony in Cantagalo. The purpose of this was to further encourage development within the Kingdom of Brazil and the area was chosen as it greatly resembled Swiss climate and geographical features. 100 Swiss families were to settle in the Fazenda do Morro Queimado (Farm of the Burnt Hill) where the colony of Nova Friburgo was later founded. From 1819-1820 a total of 261 families formed the original settlement nucleus and on the 17 April 1820 the government elevated its status to that of a village.
Following the Proclamation of Brazil’s Independence (1822) the Imperial Government continued a policy of populating the nation by attracting European colonisation. 80 German families led by Pastor Frederick Sauerbronn, previously assigned to settlements in the Province of Bahia, ended up in Nova Friburgo on the 3rd and 4 May 1824 and were warmly welcomed. Similar arrivals of Italians, Portuguese and a minority of Syrians led to such population increases that the once village was elevated to city status on 8 January 1890.
Agriculture was the basis of economic activity until 1910. The arrival of industrialists such as Julius Arp, Maximilian Falck e William Peacock Denis pioneered the development of an industrial sector still thriving to the present day. Of similar importance was the settlement’s relative proximity to Niteroi and Rio de Janeiro and improvement of transport and communication links such as the paved roads and telegraphs. This encouraged a small tourist industry to grow which, together with local commerce, became the main source of income for Friburguenses.
Nova Friburgo was affected by the 2011 Brazilian floodsJanuary 11th, with mudslides causing at least 820 deaths,and more than 200 people missing.The biggest natural disaster in the history of Brazil. The population was left with no water, electricity, food or gas.
Read more about this topic: Nova Friburgo
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